Corridor 10 of 12

Barton Greenway

Everywhere except one path, this is delivered. The Baulk Path — a countryside bridleway spur — was carved out for a separate decision in July 2025 and, fourteen months on, still hasn't had one.

Still arguing

Map from the 2016 review showing the proposed Barton Greenway and its links — The corridor as drawn in 2016. Reproduced from the review commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council; base mapping © OpenStreetMap contributors. See the full document →

What became of the 9 proposals for this corridor

Built and open · 1 In design or planning · 2 Delivered differently · 1 Not in current programme · 5

What the 2016 review asked for

Upgrade the A603 path Barton to Cambridge, 3.5 km
Upgrade the Barton–Grantchester bridleway, 1.5 km
Granta Place to Fen Causeway upgrade including two new bridges
Improve the Grantchester route including a possible point road closure
New path Comberton to Barton, 1.9 km
Extend to the Mullard Observatory, 1.6 km, and on to Little Eversden and Comberton Village College, 4 km

What happened

2018–2023Successive consultations and engagement reports.
May 2024Detailed designs published.
11 July 2025Executive Board approves the full business case for the 8 km route, with a review of the Baulk Path section to return separately, with a review of the Baulk Path section — a 2.2km countryside bridleway spur — to return separately after members questioned whether it represented value for money.
11 August 2025Barton Road (A603) works begin — 21 weeks, with night closures.
August–November 2025Village works on Kings Grove, New Road, High Street, School Lane and Comberton Road; village-wide 20mph introduced.
End 2025Barton Road path complete, ahead of schedule.
March–April 2026Final elements: a parallel crossing at Burwash Manor, street lighting, white lining, play logs by the village shop.
September 2026The Baulk Path review has produced no published decision. It has not featured in a monthly Greenways update since it was deferred.

Where it stands, September 2026

Substantially open. Barton has a village-wide 20mph limit, new crossings, better lighting, drainage and landscaping, and a widened shared-use path along the A603 into Cambridge. The Grantchester bridleway upgrade has moved to the Haslingfield scheme and the Comberton link to the Comberton scheme. The westward extensions — to the Mullard Observatory, Little Eversden and Comberton Village College, the villages the review described as having 'no route at all' — are not in any programme. One further element remains unresolved: the Baulk Path, a 2.2km countryside bridleway spur linking towards Grantchester, was carved out of the July 2025 approval for separate review after board members disputed its value for money. Fourteen months later, as of September 2026, no decision has been published and it has not appeared in a single monthly Greenways update since.

2026/27 budget £1,956kFBC approved 11 July 2025Route length 8 km

Audit

Every proposal on this route

Proposed intervention (2016)	Type	Scale	Status 2026	What happened
Upgrade the surface of the existing Barton to Cambridge path on the A603	Upgrade	3.5 km	Built and open	Delivered. Barton Road widening completed by the end of 2025.
Upgrade the bridleway surface between Barton and Grantchester	Upgrade	1.5 km	In design or planning	Transferred to the Haslingfield Greenway.
Upgrade the Granta Place to Fen Causeway route, including two new bridges	New structure	2 bridges	Not in current programme	Not in the current programme.
Improve the Grantchester to Cambridge route, including a possible point road closure	Upgrade	—	Not in current programme	The point closure — recommended for an early trial — was not pursued.
New upgraded path between Comberton and Barton along the road corridor	New route	1.9 km	In design or planning	Absorbed into the Comberton Greenway, whose planning application covers Comberton to central Cambridge.
Extend the A603 path from Barton to the Mullard Observatory	New route	1.6 km	Not in current programme	Not in the programme.
New path from the Mullard Observatory to Little Eversden and Comberton Village College	New route	4 km	Not in current programme	The review's answer for villages 'with no route at all'; not taken up.
A603 crossings and junction re-alignments, including a possible new roundabout at New Road	Upgrade	—	Delivered differently	Delivered in modified form: village-wide 20mph, new crossings, raised tables and lighting instead of a roundabout.
Changes to two roundabouts and the road layout near the M11 crossing of the A603	Upgrade	—	Not in current programme	Tied to the Western Orbital, which did not proceed.